The Nature Parts and Kinds of Prayer, Chapter 15
CHAP. XV. Sheweth what manner of perſon he is that can pray aright.
IN the next place, I ſhall ſhew who they are that can pray acceptably, ſc. they that have the ſpirit of adoption, it is they that can cry Abba Father; The ſacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight, Prov. 15. He that turneth away his eares from hearing the Law, even his prayers ſhall be an abomination, Prov. 28.9. And, John 9.31. the man that was born blind ſaw this truth, That God heareth not ſinners; but if any man be a wor…hipper of him, and doth his will, him …e heareth. And David ſaith, If I re…ard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me, Pſal. 66.18. but in the next verſe he tells us, That verily God had heard him, and attended to …he voice of his prayer. Indeed Gods …ar enclineth to us, as our heart enclineth to him, and if we decline from him, and encline to wickedneſſe with our hearts, we move him to decline from us, and incline to wrath; why ſhould God lend any man his ears, that regardeth not him in his heart? ſuch may expect to be anſwered, as God anſwered the Jewes, Iſai. 1.15. When ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; the reaſon followeth, becauſe your hands are full of bloud: none can pray aright, but ſuch as are endued with the Spirit of God, to direct them how to form and frame their prayers, that they may have acceſs to God, and acceptance in Gods Court of audience; but this none but the godly and regenerate have; therefore only ſuch can pray aright, and as they ought.
Object. 1. But we read in Scripture that the wicked do ſometimes pray unto God: they are ſaid to cry to God, and call upon him, Job 27.9, 10. Prov. 1.28.
Resp. 1. Such prayers are not true prayers, they are but lip-devotions, drawing nigh to God with their mouths, and honouring him with their lips, when their hearts are farre from him, Matth. 15.8. they are like inſtruments, and bells out of tune, that make much noiſe, but there is no melody at all. 2. They are but the expreſſions of their own private ſpirits, and not the fruits of Gods Spirit in them. 3. There is nothing but fleſh in their prayers, they are bad trees, and cannot bring forth good fruit. 4. They are but a ſhadow of prayer, therefore the Lord regardeth them not, he counteth their prayers but as the howling of beaſts, and not as the voice of his Spirit, Hoſ. 7.14. becauſe when they had ſpent a whole day in prayer and faſting, yet the Lord counted it as not done to him, becauſe their heart was not towards God nor the good duty, but like brute beaſts they howled for corn and wine.
Object. 2. But wicked men may conceive many excellent forms of prayer, and ſhew much zeal, &c.
Resp. Prayer ſtandeth not in the copy of words, nor noiſe of the voice, but in the holy deſire and diſpoſition of the heart: they have often burning lips, the words of prayer, yet pray they do not; they want thoſe ſighs and groans of the ſpirit, which the Spirit of God worketh in the hearts of the faithfull: its the voice of the regenerate part, animated, informed, and quickned by Gods Spirit, that God heareth, and knoweth the meaning of, that God accepteth, and rewardeth: hypocrites have the wood and frankinſcence, but they want fire to cauſe heat, and a ſweet ſavour, their prayers are dead and liveleſs.
Object. 3. It may be further ſaid, That God heareth the wicked ſometimes, and granteth their requeſts: thus God heard the voice of Hagar and Iſhmael, when they were ready to periſh for thirſt, and opened the eyes of Hagar to ſee a well of water, Gen. 21.17. When King Rehoboam had eſtabliſht the Kingdome and ſtrengthned himſelf and forſook the Law of the Lord his God: the Lord ſtirred up Shiſhak King of Aegypt againſt him who took their fenced Cities, whereupon the King and Princes of Iſrael humbled themſelves, and the Lord granted them ſome deliverance.
Resp. 1. I anſwer, That whenſoever God granteth the requeſts of wicked men; its not for their ſakes, but for the promiſe that he hath made to his own ordinance, and to commend that: Item, we ſhall ſtill obſerve, that they be temporall bleſſings and no other, that they obtain, that he beſtoweth upon them, as we may ſee in Ahab, 1 Kings 21.29. who when he heard the words of the Prophet denounced againſt his houſe; he humbled himſelf before the Lord, therefore brought not the evill threatned in his daies, but in his ſonnes daies: …s for theſe outward bleſſings, God many times beſtoweth them upon wicked men; thus he gave Aegypt …or a reward to Nebuchadnezzar for his ſervice to God againſt Tyrus, Ezeck. 29.18, 19.
2. God ſometime heareth the cry, of beaſts, Jon. 3.8. compared with Jon. 4.11. man and beaſt was covered with ſackcloath in Nineveh, and cryed mightily to God, and the Lord had compaſſion on them, and heard them; now who will ſay that they pray? Lyra Lyra in Jon. 3.8.expoundeth it well of their roaring, braying, lowing and bleating, every one making a noiſe in their ſeverall languages, for lack of food; yea, haply they put up and pent the young ones from their dammes, and then what a pitifull cry there would quickly be; we may eaſily ſee, but by keeping calves from the kine, and lambs from the ewes awhile: the young ravens are ſaid to cry to God for food, and he feedeth them, Pſal. 147.9.
3. God heareth the wicked ſometime in his wrath, but never in his mercy, and therefore it were better he did not hear; quia poenam pro… munere poſcunt: thus he gave the old Iſraelites (weary of his ordidinance) a King in his wrath: thus when they luſted for quailes, he gave them their requeſts, but ſent leanneſs into their ſouls, Pſal. 160.15. Sometimes what he gives to the wicked, is given but in common mercy, as they are his creatures; The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works, Pſal. 145.9. his ſpirituall bleſſings are beſtowed onelyonly upon the faithfull.
Therefore there muſt be in him that prayeth, an earneſt deſire to forſake all ſinnes: prayer is a ſacrifice whereby we labour to appeaſe Gods wrath conceived againſt us for our ſinnes, now if we do this with a purpoſe to continue in our ſinnes, we cauſe God with indignation to reject our prayers. There is no adultereſs ſo ſhameleſly impudent, as to deſire pardon of her jealous husband, having her lover ſtill in her armes, with whom ſhe hath often had wanton dalliance in times paſt, and is reſolved to have the like for the time to come. If any be ſo ſhameleſs to make ſuits in this odious manner,Jo. Downhams Chriſtian Warfare. ſaith one, they are ſure to be repulſed, and find wrath and vengeance where they look for grace and mercy: but thus do they behave themſelves toward God, ſaith he, who remaining polluted with their ſinnes, do offer up their prayers unto him; for they bring their accuſers, even their defiled conſciences, and crying ſinnes, which continually accuſe and condemn them, calling for that due puniſhment which they have deſerved. I will waſh my hands in innocency, ſo will I compaſs thine altar, O Lord, Pſal. 26. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye ſhall ask what ye will, and it ſhall be done unto you, ſaith Chriſt, Joh. 15.7.